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October 30, 2007
Calling All Vampires!
Instead of doing my history reading, I cleaned. It really says something when I would rather clean than read history. I just like to have a choice in what I’m reading and not be forced. This is forced reading, but the class doesn’t have much longer to go so that is a good thing.
This weekend I was able to meet my mom’s cousin, Dana. She is visiting from Florida and had not been to Kentucky in thirteen years. We watched an old home video that included Dana and she hasn’t changed one bit; her laugh and smile – it is Dana! It was great seeing her again.
That same night, we had our choice of chili or turkey hash which dad had prepared. I had the chili because I have been craving it for a month now. I also had a delicious pimento cheese sandwich. Everything was tasty!
*****
I don’t know how long this link will be good, however we made the front page of The Winchester Sun with our ghosts! How cool!
*****
Mom went to get blood and platelets today and they had run out of both. She said she had to wait forever. You don’t think of a big place like The University of Kentucky running out of blood, but they do!
Posted by tami at 4:24 PM Comments (4)
October 29, 2007
Break
I am on a blogging break. Thanks for understanding :)
Posted by tami at 8:59 AM Comments (4)
October 25, 2007
Poppy Seed
I had a much better day today. I didn’t actually cry at all and only came close to crying about three times.
I spent the afternoon with my mom and Andrew’s girlfriend. I want her to do something with us this weekend whether it be shopping, going to a movie, or playing a game. We don’t know her as well as we would like to, so I believe we will get closer while Andrew is away.
While we were at mom’s house, she made mini loaves of poppy seed bread. That stuff is evil. I brought a loaf home and the entire thing is already gone. I won’t say who ate it all, but just know it wasn’t me!
Mom found out she has to be over at UK on Saturday. They want to take a blood sample to see if she is low on platelets. Although they are doing what is in her best interest, I believe she is tiring of the whole process. She has had so much to cope with. It would be nice if she could have some relief for a while.
Switching gears, I saw this colorful combination as Ashley sat at the kitchen table and couldn’t wait to take a photo:
I do love colors!
Posted by tami at 7:57 PM Comments (5)
October 24, 2007
What He Said
I appreciate the feedback so much in the last comment section. It means a lot to me to have so many people praying for Andrew AND our family! I need it and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Stacey asked if Andrew could call or write anytime soon.
I was warned when he left that he would make one phone call to let me know he had arrived safely. He had to read a certain script and would not be permitted to say anything else no matter what we said to him.
He told me before he left that he would spend his one phone call on me. This meant more to me than I could ever express. He could have called his girlfriend or his papaw; instead he chose me and for that, I am honored.
I had no idea when he would call, but I figured it would be sometime Wednesday (today). I honestly figured he would call at a decent hour when we were awake and alert. I carried my cell phone around with me everywhere I went just in case he called earlier than expected.
At bedtime, I laid my cell phone next to Kevin on the desk because I don’t have a bedside table. We were both in a deep sleep when my phone rang at 1:10 AM. Kevin answered and all I heard him say was, “Good luck. We love you.”
I asked if that was Andrew and he said yes, it was. I asked why he didn’t pass the phone to me and he said there was no time. He said Andrew was reading quickly and he could hear other Marines talking around him (saying the same thing). He said Andrew talked so fast that by the time he passed the phone to me he would have been gone.
So, what did I do at 1:12 AM? I’m sure you guessed it!
I cried! I blew my nose. I got frustrated and disappointed and then went back to sleep.
This is what Andrew (and all other Marines) are allowed to say:
* I have arrived safely at Parris Island.* Please do not send any food or bulky items.
* I will contact you in 3 to 5 days via postcard with my new mailing address.
* Thank you for your support.
* Goodbye for now.
Hey, at least I know he is safe. I have a schedule of what he will be doing each week. It looks like they will be doing basic things this week like getting their gear and medical exams. Saturday they will have a big test to see where they are physically. He did great on this test when he was here, so I’m sure he will excel there also. Kevin made me a calendar so I am set! After today, he only has 84 days left!
*****
Mom got more platelets at the Markey today. Other than that, things seem to be going her way.
Posted by tami at 4:48 PM Comments (8)
October 23, 2007
Making His Way There
Andrew called me around 1:00 this afternoon using someone’s cell phone. He was at the airport and had to wait for his flight to leave around 4:30. He said they would go to Georgia by plane and then on to South Carolina by bus. The Marines like everyone to arrive at Parris Island after dark. I was told between midnight and 6 AM. They want to freak you out and be intimidated. It’s all part of the process.
They like to do THIS and THIS and THIS. It’s not fun and it’s not funny.
My sister giggles about how he’s going to get yelled at when she’s on the phone with me. I told her that I do not find anything about it funny. I don’t think he will get yelled at unless he does something wrong. She giggled some more and said they all get yelled at. As his mom, I am trying to stay positive. I don’t need to hear her or anyone else giggle about boot camp. This is serious and what they go through is pure hell. Even though I told her how it is for Marines in boot camp over a month ago, she remains clueless.
She will be mad because I said these things, but it is the truth. She needs to learn some respect; respect for what my son is going to face. I have cried off and on all day so far. I can’t help it. I’m sure I will get used to him being away. It’s only three months after all. I think I might get some therapy if I number the days on a calendar and mark them off each day. That will help me to look forward to his return instead of wallowing in him being gone.
*****
Mom’s appointment went fine. They said her blood work looks normal, but they want her to come in again tomorrow morning so they can take her blood again for tests. With her history, I think they are being very cautious.
Posted by tami at 8:51 PM Comments (9)
October 22, 2007
Hurry Up And Wait
My day started off well enough. I took Jesse to school for her dad. Once Ashley was gone, I wrapped our recently purchased Christmas presents for her.
I had just picked up one of Andrew’s gifts to wrap when the phone rang. It was my mom letting me know that the Marine recruiter had called Andrew and informed him that he would leave for Louisville at 3 PM. TODAY.
Tomorrow he will travel by plane for South Carolina. From there, he will travel by bus to Parris Island.
Andrew joined the Marines back in early August, I believe. He was actually supposed to leave a month ago, but then they kept him here because something with his job wasn’t ready. He signed on to be an MP and he doesn’t want anything less. They’re really pushing for infantry people, but Andrew stuck to his guns and held out for the MP (Military Police) position.
For the next three months he will be in basic training. He will then attend schooling for another three months. I am upset they notified him at the last minute that he was leaving; however he was scheduled to leave next week as it was.
I know his eyes won’t have this same innocence when he returns:
It was raining when he left:
He will not be here for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I have cried off and on all night. I feel good knowing he should be safe for the next six months though because they won’t send him oversees without schooling him first.
Before he left, my aunt called and told me that Sydnee had both her catheter and NG Tube removed. I hope they let her eat something.
*****
When Kevin brought me the mail this afternoon, I was crying. He handed me a card to open.
It was from my friend, Deanna. She gave us tickets to Movie Tavern and she had also included a pair of Pug earrings!
In the mist of all the bad, Deanna sent me something that made me feel good. It’s nice to know people are thinking of you and care what happens to you. Thank you so much Deanna! You are such a generous person.
*****
Mom had to visit UK this evening for platelets. Her phone call was another opportunity for the tears to flow. I never heard anything else, so I assume she is okay. She has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so I will try to let you know any details I find out.
I don’t think I can handle much more emotionally and I don’t want to find out. I rarely blog about things that upset me and I’m sorry if this was a downer, but that was my day.
Posted by tami at 11:14 PM Comments (9)
October 21, 2007
My Ten
10 Things That Made Me Happy Today (in no particular order):
1. Our new pink sheets
2. Seeing that my niece, Sydnee was doing better and her infection has gone from murky green to dishwater brown
3. Seeing my friends at church
4. Wearing my mom’s jack-o-lantern earrings with my ghost hair bow
5. Drinking coffee while reading my book
6. Walking with Guido
7. Spending time with Kevin and Ashley
8. Talking to Andrew
9. The cushion of new tennis shoes
10. Quiet time
Posted by tami at 10:10 PM Comments (2)
October 20, 2007
Sweet Sydnee
One of my nieces, Sydnee, is in the hospital.
I thought we had seen the last of the University of Kentucky for a while and then BOOM; today we were right back in the same parking garage, staring at the same buildings we stare at when mom is there.
Sydnee had to have an emergency appendectomy operation because she had a perforated and abscessed appendix.
The photo below (her mom gave me permission to show it) makes me want to cry. I asked her if Aunt Tami could take her picture, and she immediately smiled as big as she could when I pointed the camera her way.
The tubing you see in her nose is a Nasogastric Tube commonly referred to as a NG tube. This tube removes the toxins from her stomach.
She looked at me and asked, "You came to visit me?" I think with her Nene being in the hospital so much, it's a little hard for her to think of people visiting her in the hospital. She's only six.
She is expected to be in the children’s hospital for the next five days. Please pray for her, my sweet little niece.
Posted by tami at 9:44 PM Comments (7)
October 18, 2007
Class Ring
My day has started off positively. Today is Blue Day for Ashley’s school. (I did not take a photo). She had some blue earrings on, but they clashed with her shirt, so I looked through my jewelry box to see if I had any blue earrings.
I never get into my jewelry box. I wear the same five pairs of earrings all the time, so I leave them laying out where they are easily accessible.
I found one blue earring and asked Ashley if she wanted to wear the pair. I got her approval, so I had to dig through the box for its mate. While digging, my fingers found my class ring. I haven’t been able to wear this ring since my late teens, early twenties.
When Kevin and I started dating, I wore his class ring. When we got married, I switched out his class ring for my wedding rings. I’m guessing I had my wedding rings resized about ten years ago. It may have been even longer than that.
Back in late June, I discovered that I could no longer wear my wedding rings because my fingers had gotten smaller and they were falling off. We bought those little clear, plastic gizmos you clasp around your ring to make it bigger so you can wear it, but that kept popping off. Afraid I would lose them; I put my wedding rings away and haven’t worn them since.
This morning though, I held my class ring between my fingers and wondered if there was any way it would fit; not really having any hope at all.
It fit:
I am still shocked. You have to realize, this ring is something I thought I would never be able to wear again. I had no idea when you lost weight, your fingers lost weight too! I am still wearing the ring and still very happy. I will have my wedding rings resized, but I want to get comfortable with my new weight loss first. You know, settle in with a number and then maintain for a bit. After all, a ring can only take so much going back and forth.
Although I am happy, I cannot see a class ring without remembering this poem:
Class RingAuthor: Unknown
Near to the door he paused to stand
as he took his class ring off her hand
all who were watching did not speak
as a silent tear ran down his cheek
and through his mind the memories ran
of the moments they walked
and ran in the sand hand and hand
but now her eyes were so terribly cold
for he would never again have her to hold
they watched in silence as he bent near
and whispered the words......
"I LOVE YOU" in her ear
he touched her face and started to cry
as he put on his ring and wanted to die
and just then the wind began to blow
as they lowered her casket into the snow....
this is what happens to man alive.....
when friends let friends.... drink and drive.
That was very popular back when I was in school. Who knows, maybe teenagers are still passing it along in notes today.
Posted by tami at 9:22 AM Comments (7)
October 17, 2007
My Morning
Today is Western Day for Ashley’s school:
Let’s face it people; it’s just an excuse to wear blue jeans:
You know how detrimental wearing jeans are to your education, right?! … Don’t even get me started on dress code.
It’s 8:33 AM. I have taken Ashley to school and I am dreading my reading! I started reading the book Firestarter by Stephen King last night and it’s SO interesting. I’m only on page 14, but I really want to read that. Instead, I get to read a chapter out of my history book. I am on chapter 10 this week. Surely there can’t be that many more chapters to go!
Kevin told me he has seen the movie Firestarter, but never read the book. I am in total shock that I am reading a Stephen King book he has never read. I thought he had read them all and was the authority. Now I know his dirty little secret! I have never even seen the movie, so it will all be a surprise to me if I ever get to read it!
I have to link to Ross Mathew’s Talky Blog where he and Nikki Boyer VISIT TARGET. (Click on the VISIT TARGET link.) It’s so much fun! His official website is on my sidebar. I hope to do a Talky Blog every weekend for you guys. It could be posted Saturday or Sunday depending on how busy we are, so I hope you liked the first one.
12:24
I finished reading chapter 10 and I have to say, it wasn’t boring. It talked a lot about Baptists, Methodists, and Mormons and the role religion played in general around the 1830’s. As in chapter 9, it talked more about slavery and the issues that arose with that. It was interesting reading that books written by woman, which male writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne described as “a damned mob of scribbling women”, dominated the marketplace. Uncle Tom's Cabin written by a woman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, sold more copies in the 1850’s than any other book. This must have really ticked those men off!
*****
News on mom: She will come home today, eventually. First though, she will have to have two bags of blood. I will tell you; this process takes hours upon hours. The doctor said she would also have her indwelling catheter removed because it was, once again, the source of her infection (some strain of e-coli) and has the potential to become a superbug. She will have something temporarily placed until a new catheter can be more permanently inserted on Friday, probably in her arm. The doctor would like Home Health to begin visiting her three times a week instead of just two.
As you can tell, I have been on the phone, read emails and blogs, eaten lunch, and been driven mad; mad by that little creature we call Guido. The freak cannot stand to see a bird in the backyard. I have explained this to you. So, a little while ago, there was a bird on the wire that refused to move. The thing could have died up there for all I know. I tried to stomp and clap my hands to make it fly away; all the while, Guido is barking at it like a freak (I did not look like a freak whilst clapping and stomping. No, I did not!)
I finally just came in and left Guido barking at the back door at the bird that never flinched. When the time was right, I called him in here and distracted him with his blanket and toys. When he realized he had tired himself out, he got a drink of water and fell asleep.
Here he is now, probably dreaming about birds:
** By the way, if you didn't watch until the very, very end of my Talky Blog, you missed out!
Posted by tami at 1:35 PM Comments (5)
October 16, 2007
I Have Answers
First things first; mom is not coming home today. Even though she is no longer running a fever, her doctors still want to make sure she is stable and well enough before she goes home.
I know she is in the best place she can be and it gives me comfort knowing if anything happens, they are right there monitoring her.
*****
I received the following in email complements of Joyce:
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through and you'll get the point.1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?The point is none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
I know I wasn’t supposed to answer the questions literally, but I thought it could be fun, so here goes …. Oh, and no one is allowed to get offended:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
First off, let me just say that I have had some wonderful teachers throughout the years. I won’t give first names, but I will give you a few of them.
* I had Mrs. Campbell in the fifth and sixth grade. Her hair always reminded me of Flo’s on the TV show Alice. At that time, I was big into Alice so I latched right onto her. I would daydream about where she might live and what her furnishings might look like. I would wonder what she did at her house and if she watched TV; did she ever watch the show Alice. These thoughts were always in my head and one reason why my grades weren’t better ;)
* Dr. Price was my chorus teacher in middle school and then again in high school. He was a good looking man with silver and white hair and a full beard. He was always so sweet to me and I really think we had a bond. At the time I knew Dr. Price, Lionel Ritchie was big and his new song was Sail On. Dr. Price had us sing that song along with John Denver’s Grandma’s Feather Bed. That song always cracked up the entire class. He had everyone singing and laughing and having fun. We also watched the movie Fiddler on the Roof. My parents had taken me to see it years earlier, but I was too young then to get it. In Dr. Price’s class, I learned a new appreciation for this movie. Maybe his influence is the reason I love bearded men to this day. They just have a smarter more wizard-like look to me. YUM!
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Okay it says friends, but my family members are my friends, so they count.
In no particular order: Beki, Bobbi, my parents, and Kevin. I know, I named four, but I actually should have named a lot more! These people know what they have done for me when the going was rough and I appreciate them and what they did.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
* My Aunt Patt has taught me about loyalty.
* My friend Bobbi has taught me to stand up for who I am and what I am worth.
* Kevin has taught me to say “whatever”.
* My children have taught me unconditional love.
* My parents have taught me that life is too short to stay mad.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
My husband, daughter, people who comment on this blog, and Aunt Patt have made me feel appreciated or special within the last few days.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
This one is easy – my family! There are more than five of them, but that’s okay. I also enjoy friends I already have and meeeting new people.
I enjoyed answering these questions. It's easy to get caught up with daily routines and forget that other people even exist. Thanks Joyce!
Posted by tami at 2:03 PM Comments (1)
October 15, 2007
Things Can Change Quickly
11:00 AM
Don’t you just love payday?! Kevin gets paid every two weeks, so certain bills are paid on the 15th and others on the 30th. I like knowing that I don’t owe anyone for a little while. When I pay that electric bill, I enjoy the fact that I don’t have to pay them again for another month. It settles my mind and it makes me happy. I am happy and grateful we have the money to pay those bills.
Now that I am talking about this, I am thinking not many people talk about money on their blogs. I know it is a very private matter and I agree. I don’t tell people how much money we make (even in surveys), but I don’t mind talking about our general bills. I guess people have certain bills they consider private also though. I mean, I’m not going to make a laundry list of our bills, but if someone asked me about something specific, I wouldn’t mind answering.
I consider tax money private. If you want to tell me how much you got back on your taxes, that’s fine, but don’t expect anything from me. Am I the only one like this?
It shocks me how many people disclose how much money they make on their MySpace page. I believe most of them are lying. I really do. And do you really want some creepy person looking at that number who only cares about how much money you make? I’m sure there are people out there who look for that high number and then try to make friends with them.
In any case, I feel settled. I have paid the bills, gone to the bank, filled the car up with gas, and gotten what we really needed from Wal-Mart. I love going to Wal-Mart or any store for that matter in the morning. There’s hardly anyone else there and you get the run of the store. The check-out process is also a gift; no lines!
1 PM
Boy, how a few hours can change everything!
Mom was supposed to come home today, but last night she had a high fever. The nurse told dad this morning she had been throwing up and was very sick. They have taken blood for lab tests so see what is wrong, but those haven’t come back yet. They are giving her antibiotics. Needless to say, she will not come home this day. As of now, they have given her something and she is sleeping deeply.
Posted by tami at 4:42 PM Comments (4)
October 14, 2007
It's A Beautiful Sunday
In case you didn’t catch everything from yesterday’s You Tube video, I will tell you again.
Kevin went from 250 pounds to 169 pounds. That’s a total weight loss of 81 pounds. I went from 214 pounds to 143 pounds. That’s a total weight loss of 71 pounds.
It still is hard for this to sink in my head though. 71 pounds is a lot of weight. This morning before church I tried on about five skirts. Each one fell to the floor when I put them on, so I figured I could get away with wearing a pair of dress pants. No such luck. Kevin said they looked more like lounging pants because the legs were so baggy. I honestly never thought my legs were big before, but I guess they were because those pants used to be kind of tight in the legs.
It’s odd when you lose weight in places where you didn’t know you had it to lose. Does that make sense? My fingers, the backs of my arms, my shoulders, legs, feet; FEET for crying out loud! This morning I had to walk carefully in my shoes so they wouldn’t slip off! Who thinks of their feet getting smaller with weight loss?!
Now comes the hard part: the maintenance. I will let you know every so often how we are doing with the weight loss, but if you have any questions I will try to answer them.
*****
We visited with mom again today while she was receiving her chemo. She seemed a little tired (Don’t we all love naps – and it was afternoon!), but other than that, she looks and sounds great. She has a very positive outlook.
*****
Just a friendly warning: If some of you haven’t blogged in the next few days, I will be removing you from my blog list. No offense is intended, but I want my blog list to be a roll of current bloggers. The way I feel about it is, it would be nice to just come right out and say, “This blog will be removed.” Or “I lost interest and there will be no new entries.” When months and months have passed, it may be time to throw in the towel. We can still keep in touch with cards and email though :)
I do hate it when someone quits blogging. I feel I have built a relationship of sorts, but I don’t think I should have to keep begging for entries either. If you find your name missing from my list, know that I checked every day and you never blogged.
*****
From the comments on yesterday’s post, it sounds as if congratulations are due to Ellice and Brad! I believe they have successfully made a baby in spite of always being in the movie theatre. Ha! Ha! I wish you both the very best and will continue to pray for you and your family.
Posted by tami at 5:25 PM Comments (5)
October 11, 2007
In The Pink
The sky around 6 PM:
Please put the Breast Cancer Site in your favorites, go there once a day, and click on the big pink button. If you do this, the sponsors will give a free mammogram each day to a woman in need. You can Click Here to learn more about the Breast Cancer Site and the good things they do.
Posted by tami at 7:46 PM Comments (2)
October 10, 2007
Gargoyles
This morning the smell of peanut butter aroused my nose as I drove past the place where JIF peanut butter is made on Winchester Road. Since peanut butter is so high in calories, I don’t get to eat much of it, but I can smell it all I want. I can take long, deep breaths so I make sure that I do!
I’m sure this smell awakens the people’s senses that live in this area. I know if I lived around there, I would breathe deeper every time I walked out the door.
*****
I spent a good part of the day with mom. I took her a tuna fish sandwich for lunch because she hates the hospital food. We talked, read the Herald-Leader, and played Skip-Bo. She won the first hand and I won the second. She got really tired after that and asked me to rub her face. She said, “I’m spoiled.”
I know how she feels though. I am spoiled too.
Tonight as Ashley and I walked, the leaves swirled along the wind. It was nice to have them crunching beneath our feet as the smell of dryer sheets wafted through the air. It was cold enough for her to wear a hoodie and me to wear a jacket. Fall temperatures have finally arrived along with the changing colors.
For a while, I thought fall had skipped us this year. We can decorate all we want, but if the temperature stays in the 80’s all day, it’s hard to accept that it’s October. With the way it was tonight, I can finally see myself making huge pots of chili and vegetable soup.
*****
I need to add something to the list of things that set Guido off.
Inflatable Gargoyles:
He doesn’t like them.
Posted by tami at 9:01 PM Comments (2)
October 9, 2007
Not A Hotel
I found these babes in costume over the weekend:
Mom packed her suitcase today for her six-day stay in the Markey. Too bad it’s not a luxury hotel like the name implies; “The Markey”.
She is dreading it and I don’t blame her. Although she receives excellent treatment during her stay, you can imagine a hospital stay of any kind would be hard.
They planned to have lasagna one night for dinner, so I prepared that for them while I was there this afternoon. I hope it was good. I have told her I will make anything she wants; all she has to do is ask.
Just between us, I think she has a hard time asking for anything!
Posted by tami at 8:09 PM Comments (2)
October 8, 2007
Singing Ghosts
Inspired by Elizabeth’s photos over at Bluepoppy, I decided we needed some Singing Ghosts of our own here in Winchester.
I am very pleased with the end result:
They are very happy little ghosts, singing their hearts out around our Weeping Willow tree:
*****
Ashley had two appointments today. Her first appointment was with the orthodontist. She had her colors changed on her braces and they added a power chain to bring her two front teeth together. Her second appointment was to update her vaccinations and get a physical for sixth grade. We would have taken care of this during the summer, but no one told us she needed a physical for sixth grade. Anyway, she ended up getting three shots (one was an updated chicken pox vaccine). Ouch!
Mom also had a doctor’s appointment today. She found out she may only need one more chemotherapy treatment, instead of two more like they were thinking earlier. She will check in to the Markey this Wednesday and should only be there six days for this last round of chemotherapy. Her blood work looked great and she took her last bag of antibiotics tonight.
Posted by tami at 9:36 PM Comments (3)
October 7, 2007
Candle In A Bucket
We went to Logan’s after church this afternoon. Even though they were busy, we got right in at a booth. I prefer a booth over a table.
Kevin got a mini dessert at the end of his meal. It was a Nutter Butter dessert and after trying a little taste, Ashley and I had to have one of our own!
I know Friday’s also offers mini desserts (in shot glasses) and they are delicious also and worth the calories.
Since the Logan’s menu says you can take the mini bucket home; that is exactly what we did. Kevin had the excellent idea of using it as a votive candle holder:
* In tomorrow’s post, probably late tomorrow, I hope to show you something crafty we have been working on.
Posted by tami at 8:56 PM Comments (5)
October 6, 2007
Who's Counting?
Okay, now don’t start calling me The Bug Woman or anything, but I did just so happen to find another caterpillar. This one is a Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar. If you click on that link, it shows what this caterpillar will look like when it becomes a moth.
Ashley asked me just how many shoeboxes we are going to have, but I politely pointed out to her that we just got rid of one and we only have one other left. Now we will have two again. No big deal.
I think it looks beautiful in this light:
Here it is hanging upside down on a blade of grass:
*****
We have been inside all day doing various work for school. I read a book (for pleasure) all week, so I was a chapter behind in history. I got caught up though and have taken all four tests for the past four weeks of reading. Whew!
Posted by tami at 11:11 PM Comments (1)
October 5, 2007
No Head
My nieces spent the night Wednesday night, but they weren’t any trouble. Ashley pretty much handled them for herself. I fixed lunch and dinner, but that was all. They looked at Halloween books and played with my Halloween Mc Nuggets. They also played with Polly Pockets, baby dolls, watched movies, sang songs while Ashley videotaped them, and there is no telling what I may have missed in between these things.
They had fun although I believe Church was insulted by Sydnee when she first walked through the door. She took one look at him, scrunched up her face then proclaimed, “Church is ………….. FAT." There was a very long pause in there as she really tried to come up with a better way to break the news, but then couldn’t. Her eyebrows arched upward as her face registered resignation. To her, Church is fat and there is no denying it.
It is okay that she insulted him though, because I insulted HER! I actually didn’t think my words would have any effect on her, but she was insulted believe me.
By now, I am sure you have all seen the ads for the new M&M’s Dark Chocolate. It’s a spoof of the old TV show The Addams Family.
This is a photo of the ad:
I have this page laminated and hanging on my front door for Halloween. As we entered the house, I pointed out to Sydnee that she was the little girl, “Wednesday”. I said, “See, this is you. Do you know why?” She shook her head no as she furrowed her brow.
I then pointed out that Wednesday is holding a doll with no head. I said, “That is you because you took the head off of Aunt Patt’s doll. Remember that?"
Yes, after a recent visit to my aunt’s house, my aunt noticed a bundle of fake flowers was missing from a vase. After a few days, she noticed how they were loving placed in one of her dolls hands. She told my mom about it and then mom told me. When she told me I said, “Well, it had to have been Jesse who did it. If it had been Sydnee, the doll’s head would have been missing."
I received an update on the doll very shortly after I made that statement.
The dolls head was missing! OMG! It’s just hilarious to me. Do I know her or what? That particular doll is over 50 years old. It was my aunt’s doll as a child and she has kept it in pristine condition all these years. She is in the process of finding someone in this area who can restore the doll’s head.
So you see, I wasn’t being mean, just honest! Sydnee said, “I am not like her." As I said smiling, “Oh yes you are." Remembering in the back of my mind the two Barbie’s heads she removed while playing with Ashley a while back.
The child knows how to remove a head.
*****
A few weeks ago, I mentioned to mom in passing that I had been craving her cheese ball. Kevin makes a wicked cheese ball, but his doesn’t have nuts and mom’s does. I am a nut freak!
Even though she wasn’t feeling well yesterday, she made me a cheese ball. I feel just terrible about her doing that, using energy on me, but it was something she wanted to do. She loves me.
Today she is visiting UK for some blood. I hope it makes her feel better and gives her more energy. She wants me to help her get out her winter clothes, so we will both need plenty of energy. She could open her own store with all the clothes she has!
Posted by tami at 11:14 AM Comments (2)
October 3, 2007
His Majesty
I know I have talked before about what sets Guido into a panic, but reading about Norman and him losing his Popcorn Privileges got me thinking about Guido again.
These are the things that set him off. AKA: make him bark.
* Getting clean Wal-Mart bags (which we received full of groceries when we went shopping) or taking the broom and dust pan out of the closet makes him very suspicious. Actually he used to be suspicious, but now he knows what is about to happen, so he barks at me. He barks at me as I take the bags out and then he proceeds to run at my heels and bark as I change the bags out in each bathroom can.
Then, as I gather those bags up, plus the kitchen bag, he really starts to go off. His bark changes into a high, almost girly, bark, almost as though he is about to lose his voice.
Fortunately we have a solid screen door that can withstand the beating of his fierce paws and barks as he watches me take the garbage away. (Proof of these actions can be seeen at the end of this post.)
* Getting the vacuum cleaner out of the closet and then using it is a much bigger chore than it used to be. Guido thinks the vacuum wants to fight him. He thinks the vacuum is a big monster and he nips at it the entire time I am using it. How fun for me when I am just trying to get the job finished!
He barks when I take the vacuum out and he barks the entire time I am putting it away. You would think the "putting it away" part would make him happy, but no, he is still riled up and ready for a fight.
* The hair dryer has become the latest victim of his tirades. Before I started doing The Step Box I had no reason to use the hair dryer as I take my shower at night and let it dry naturally. These days after I have finished my work out, my hair is wet with sweat. This isn’t a problem unless I need to go somewhere shortly afterwards. This is when I pull out the hair dryer and the boy goes ballistic.
He barks as I carry it into the bedroom, plug it in, and then turn it on. I turn the air on cold so I can blow it right in his face. He then barks and lunges into the cold air. Sometimes, most times, I thrust the dryer towards him, so that it looks like a mad dogs head (the dryer is brown). This sets him off for another few minutes. Finally, after he has had his share of cold air, he settles down, but he watches me, and then he makes sure the dryer is put away.
* Birds sitting in the grass or on a wire in our backyard make him bark. Nine times out of ten the birds fly away at the sound of His Majesty’s fierceness, but then there’s that one bird who decides to stay and annoy him, thus annoying me. Guido will run back and forth barking his fool head off whilst the bird sits atop the wire happily enjoying himself.
* He also barks anytime the doorbell rings or when we have the front door open and he sees people walk by. When we ask him, “Do you want a treat?” he likes to bark, “Yes! Yes! I do want a treat!"
I do have proof of his naughty butt in action with the garbage and here it is:
“Is he doin’ what I think he’s doin’?"
“Yep! Here he goes again with that bag of stuff and I’m not letting it go this time!"
“If that bag was just a little lower I could put a hole straight through it!"
“Dang! I lost it again!"
Now you have proof.
Posted by tami at 4:00 PM Comments (3)
October 1, 2007
"Seven-six-two millimeter. Full. Metal. Jacket."
All of my calendars have now been changed to October and I just realized I haven’t shared the movies I have seen since July. The reason for this may be that I have only watched two, yes two, movies since July. This fact amazes me since I am a great lover of movies.
In all honesty I think my eating habits have a lot to do with this. See, everything used to revolve around food; even something as simple as watching a movie was a good reason to totally pig out on popcorn. Now I can have the 100-calorie bag of popcorn, but it isn’t the same. Knowing that I can’t eat during the entire movie has made me not want to watch movies at all. That’s sad, but now that I have admitted to this ugly truth, maybe I can work on it.
On 8-16-07 I watched Casablanca for the first time. This movie has been around since 1942 and I am just watching it! It was nothing like what I expected, but it was a good movie. I wonder why Hugh Hefner chooses to watch this movie in particular every year on his birthday. What significance could it have to him? It’s not as though it were a very romantic movie; at least, I didn’t find it as romantic as others I have seen. It just makes me wonder.
On 9-6 AND 9-8-07 I watched Full Metal Jacket. I saw this movie about fifteen times when I was a teenager, but I had forgotten how good it is if you like war movies. On 9-6, I watched it with Andrew, his girlfriend, and one of his friends. On 9-8, I watched it again with Kevin and Ashley. Ashley loved hearing and seeing the part where they chant, “This is my rifle. This is my gun. This is for fighting. This is for fun.” You would have to see it to understand why she found that funny. This is not a movie for those who cannot tolerate blood, war, or bad language; especially bad language because there’s a lot of it.
I’m sure I will watch more movies this month. Since this is Halloween month, I already have my Halloween-type movies out ready and waiting!
Posted by tami at 9:59 AM Comments (1)